Apparatus for storing reference books



A ril 2, 1941. R. E. L. HEYMANS 2,239,322

APPARATUS FOR STORING REFERENCE BOQKS Filed Dec. :51, 19s: 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 7b 1 3w 3d 2 ''1 C5? 0 O o W M- I 30[\ IL" \Z L; i L 5 i i 0 i 5 v 5 :I C /4b I :l g M 0 I W 19410 R. E. L. HEYMANS 2,239,322

APPARATUS FOR STORING REFERENCE BOOKS Filed Dec. 31, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 '4 Sheets-Sheet 3 R. E. L. HEYMANS APPARATUS FOR STORING REFERENCE BOOKS Filed Dec.

April 22, 1941.

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A ril 22, 1941. R. E. LQHEYMANS APPARATUS FOR STORING REFERENCE BOOKS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec.

Patented Apr. 22, 1941 APPARATUS FOR STORING REFERENCE BOQKS Ronald Edward Louis Heymans, Hornsey, England, assignor to Harris & Tyler Limited, London, England, a British company Application December 31, 1938, Serial No. 248,843 In Great Britain January 26, 1938 '7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for storing reference books, such as telephone and other directories, registers, account books and the like, and particularly refers to improvements in apparatus for this purpose of the kind in which a book or books is or are supported in vertical disposition below the level of a table or equivalent rest, each book being movable when required to a position in which it can be opened flat on said table or equivalent rest.

Such apparatus is of special utility in connection with large and heavy reference books in constant use as it obviates to a considerable extent the physical efiort which is usually involved in lifting the book on to the table or rest for use, and its subsequent removal therefrom. Such apparatus also has the advantage that two or more reference books maybe stored beneath a comparatively small table or rest and are readily accessible for use separately as required.

In known apparatus for this purpose each book after use has to be closed by the use of two hands to a vertical position in order that it may return to the storing position beneath the table or rest and it is found that users are reluctant .to take this trouble, particularly as very often only one hand is available. When two or more books are stored side by side, the presence of an open book hinders convenient operation of the storing apparatus for subsequent users.

The present invention has among its objects to provide improved apparatus of the kind referred to whereby the closing of a book after reference thereto and its return to the storing position may be facilitated.

More specifically the present invention has for its object the provision of mechanism operable by one hand and adapted to effect closing of a book after reference thereto for return to the storing position, to provide apparatus in which the book in the stored position is disposed with its back downwards and is secured on a booksupporting member whereby the book may be raised and lowered in a vertical gap or slot, and generally to provide improvements in the construction and arrangement of apparatus for the purpose referred to, as hereinafter described in more detail.

The invention is hereinafter described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation partly in section illustrating one embodiment of book-storing unit according to the invention showing how two of such units may be arranged side by side in combination;

Figure 2 is a side elevation corresponding to Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure l, illustrating a modification; and

Figure 4 is a section on the line IV1'V, Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, a book I, such as a telephone directory, is disposed with its back downwards when in the stored position and is secured on a book-supporting member 2 furnished with flaps 2a. hingedly connected thereto for the protection of the book 1 during its movement into and out of the storing position. The book-supporting member 2 serves to raise and lower the book I in a slot or gap 3a formed-between vertical guiding strips to and the inwardly directed edges of a pair of vertical channel members 30, the channels 30 being fixed at their upper ends to a frame 3 having a flanged member 3e constituting a table top or rest. The members to are at their upper ends fixed to suitably curved guiding plates 3d which, when the supporting member 2 is lowered to draw the book into the slot or gap ea, act to close the book.

The book-supporting member 2 is mounted on a carriage 4 provided with pairs of rollers 4a, 4b engaging in the aforesaid vertical channels 30. The rollers are arranged so that the pairs of rollers la, in adjacent the top and bottom of the carriage are mounted with their axes at right angles so that the rollers 4a resist fore and aft movement of the carriage and the rollers 4b resist lateral movement, thereby ensuring free and accurate running of :the carriage in the guides formed by the channels 30.

The weight of the book I, the book-supporting member 2 and the carriage 4 is counter-balanced by weights 5 sliding on guide rods to. suspended from the frame 3 and connected to the booksupporting member 2 by means such as leather thongs or the equivalent passing over pulleys 5b and engaging with a cross-piece be connected to the book-supporting member by a bracket 5d.

A knob 5 or other suitable handle is fixed to the front of the carriage 4 for convenience in raising and lowering the book-supporting member with the book I thereon.

The book I is detachably held on the booksupporting member 2 by the provision ofmeans comprising end plates l fixed to the ends of the member 2, slotted plates slidable over the plates 1 and located in relation thereto by projecting pins id, and a retaining rod having grooves 'ic adjacent its ends for the engagement of tension springs if connected to a projection lg, the arrangement being such that the springs 1f perrnit substantially free movement of the rod lb within limits and at the same time retain both the rods and the plates ie in position.

The means described for securing the books to the book-supporting member 2 is particularly adapted for use with telephone directories in which there is generally very little margin between the printing and the back binding. In use the rod 'ib is inserted between the pages at or about the middle of the book and the plates 1e and springs '51 are then app-lied in position inrthe-manner described. The upward movement of the rod ii) in relation to the member 2 is limited by engagement of the pins id in the slots in the plates is.

As indicated in Figure number of, book-storing units may be arranged side by side in conjunction with a common table or rest and if desired means may be provided for ensuring that any book which has been left open on the common table or rest is returned to the storing position before another book can be raised. For this purpose interlocking mechanism (not shown) may be provided. Such interlocking mechanism may comprise for example a pivotally mounted pawl lever arranged to extend through a slot in the wall of one of the channel members so as to engage one of the lower roller spindles on the vertical carriage or other suitable part of such carriage when the latter is in its lowermost position. The disengagement of the pawl lever is effected through a Bowden wire or like connection by means of a pivoted lever mounted in one of the vertical channels of an adjacent unit and adapted to be engaged by a wedge or cam surface when the respective vertical carriage reaches its lowermost position. Thus, the release of one vertical carriage cannot take place until the other has reached its lowermost position and consequently one book cannot be raised until the other book is returned to the storing position. Each unit may have two pawl levers associated therewith and two wedge or cam-operated levers so that two or more units may be interconnected.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a modification which is particularly applicable for the storing of two books only, such as telephone directories, each book being mounted preferably in the manner before described on a book-supporting member 2 carried by a vertical carriage 4 provided with guide rollers 4a, to engaging the vertical channels 3c. Instead, however, of providing each carriage with a balanceweight, the two carriages are connected together so that as one is moved up the other moves down. As shown in the drawings, a leather thong 8 is carried around pulleys 8a, 8b, the pulley Sat at the top being mounted on a fixed pivot attached to the frame 3, while the pulley 8b is mounted on a vertically slidable member 80 carried by a block 86 fixed to one of the vertical channels 30, suitable tension being applied to the thong by means of a spring 8d attached to an anchorage member 39.

Conveniently the thong B is in two parts of equal length, the ends of each part being fitted with flanged ferrules 9b which are crimped on to the thong. Each book-supporting member 2 is connected to the thong 8 by means of bracket members 9 the lower extremities 9a of which are bent into a horizontal plane and are clamped 1, two, or any desired together to engage between them the abuttin flanges of adjacent ferrules 9b whereby the two parts of the thong 8 are connected together.

The double book-storing unit shown in Figures 3 and 4 may be associated with a table top 3e of sufficient dimensions to accommodate the open books and the hinged flap 2?) may be provided at the sides of the book-supporting members 2. In the case of single units the flaps 21) may be dispersed with.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular constructional details hereinbefore described. For example, any other suitable means may be provided for counterbalancing-the weight of the book, book-supporting member and vertical frame, and the raising and lowering of the book may be effected through a lever or lever mechanism. In the construction of Figures 3 and 4 a single centrally arranged operating handle may be employed instead of separate handles associated with the respective carriages.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for storing a reference book comprising a frame provided with a top for supporting the book in the open position, said top having a gap through which the book is Withdrawn to a storing position below the said top, spaced vertically disposed members extending below the said gap and arranged to provide a slot therebetween to accommodate the book to be stored with its back lowermost, oppositely disposed vertical guide members arranged adjacent the front end of the said slot, a vertically movable carriage disposed in the front end of said slot and slidable in the said guide members, vertically spaced pairs of rollers carried at opposite sides of said carriage and engaging said vertical guide members to maintain said carriage in upright position, a substantially horizontal book-supporting member carried solely by the said carriage and extending therefrom toward the rear end of said slot, and means for connecting the book to the said booksupporting member.

2. Apparatus for storing a reference book comprising a frame provided with a top for supporting the book in the open position, said top having a gap through which the book is withdrawn to a storing position below the said top, spaced vertically disposed members extending below the said gap and arranged to provide a slot therebetween to accommodate the book to be stored with its back lowermost, a carriage disposed at one end of said slot and vertically movable therein, opposed vertically disposed guide rails adjacent one end of said slot, said carriage having vertically spaced pairs of guide rollers at opposite sides thereof in engagement with said guide rails, a substantially horizontal book-supporting member carried solely by the said carriage and extending therefrom in the direction of the other end of said slot, means for connecting the book to the said book-supporting memher, and means for counter-balancing the weight of the book, book-supporting member and carriage.

3. Apparatus for storing a reference book comprising a frame provided with a top for supporting the book in open position, said top having a gap through which the book is withdrawn to a storing position below the top, spaced vertically disposed members extending below the gap and arranged to provide a slot therebetween to accommodate the book to be stored with its back lowermost, a carriage vertically movable in said slot, a book supporting member carried by said carriage, guide members at the top of said slot comprising curved plates the upper part of which form continuations of the top surface on which the book is supported in open position, said plates having substantially fiat intermediate portions converging downwardly to the said slot for effecting closing of the book as it is withdrawn through said gap and for guiding the book into the storing position, and means for connecting the book to the book supporting member.

4. Apparatus for storing a reference book comprising a frame provided with a top for supporting the book in open position, said top having a gap through which the book is withdrawn to a storing position below the top, spaced vertically disposed members extending below the gap and arranged to provide a slot therebetween to accommodate the book to be stored with its back lowermost, a carriage vertically movable in said slot, a book-supporting member carried by said carriage, and means for connecting the book to the book-supporting member comprising end members fixed to the book-supporting member, end plates slidable over the said end members, a rod engaging the said end plates, said rod having projecting and recessed ends, and springs engaging the said projecting and recessed ends of the rod to retain the same in position.

5. Apparatus for storing a reference book comprising a frame provided with a top for supporting the book in open position, said top having a gap through which the book is withdrawn to a storing position below the top, spaced vertically disposed members extending below the gap and arranged to provide a slot therebetween toaccommodate the bookto be stored with its back lowermost, a carriage vertically movable in said slot, a book-supporting member carried by said carriage, and means for connecting the book to the book-supporting member comprising end members fixed to the book-supporting member, plates slidable over the said end members, said plates being slotted to engage positioning pins projecting from the said end members, a rod engaging the said end plates, said rod having projecting and recessed end portions and a pair of obliquely disposed springs engaging each projecting end of the said rod to retain the same in position while permitting substantially free movement in all directions to ti e extent limited by the engagement f the said pins in the said slots.

' 6. Apparatus for storing a reference book comprising a frame provided with a top for supporting a book in open position, said top having an opening therein through which the book is withdrawn to a stored position below the top, means defining a slot below the opening to receive the book to be stored with its back lowermost, an upright vertically movable carriage disposed in one end of said slot, vertically disposed guide rails carried by said frame at opposite sides of said carriage, said carriage having vertically spaced rollers at each side thereof for engaging said guide rails to maintain said carriage in upright position in its vertical path of movement, and a substantially horizontal book supporting member carried solely by said carriage and extending therefrom in the direction of the length of said slot.

'7. Apparatus for storing a reference book comprising a frame provided with a top for sup-porting a book in open position, said top having an opening therein through which the book is withdrawn to a stored position below the top, means defining a slot below the opening to receive the book to be stored with its back lowermost, an upright vertically movable carriage disposed in one end of said slot, vertically disposed channel guide rails carried by said frame at opposite sides of said carriage, said carriage having vertically spaced rollers at each side thereof for engaging both the bottom and side walls of said channel guide rails to maintain said carriage in upright position, and a book supporting member connected at one end to said carriage and extending therefrom in the direction of the length of said slot.

RONALD L. HEYMANS. 

